EMBO Reports Cover

Our immune system is extremely efficient in protecting us from foreign pathogens, yet at the same time requires self tolerance. A new paper shows that the protein ADAR1 is required for editing the sequence of RNAs to prevent them from being recognized as foreign by the immune system. When this process is perturbed, unedited RNAs inhibit the elimination of T cells that recognize self antigens, leading to autoimmune diseases. This drawing illustrates how editing of RNAs by ADAR1 is required for self tolerance by discarding cells that recognize self antigens.